2: You’re Going To Scream

BROOKS

Mom was rambling on and on. She was glad that I liked him. She didn’t think her sons hated her either. She was so excited, lighting up like a 12-year-old talking about her first crush as she talked about him. It broke my heart that I wasn’t so sure about the marriage, that the only man I’ve ever had a one-night stand with turned out to be his son.

I thought about our encounter at the bathroom, the way his palm had caressed its way up my thigh, the way he could have brushed his finger over my panties, slid it aside, and proceeded to finger me right there and then, with our parents just a few walks away and I’d have allowed him. I’d have allowed him because the minute his skin touched mine, I was already gone and heady with a feral need. It was a need that mirrored our first time together. I’ve never felt that much for a man before; it was voluminous, like a beast had been unlocked in me, and he was the only one capable of satisfying that need.

And his brother, Zade, the one who said nothing during the dinner, had walked in on us and had said nothing. I wonder what he was thinking about me now. A slut who was hooking up with her stepbrother during the family’s first official meeting.

The urge to cover my face in shame was too much.

“Are you okay, Brooks?” Mom’s worried voice interrupted my thoughts, “You haven’t said anything since we left. Are you… you don’t…”

“Mom,” I angled my body so I was facing her squarely, “he’s the alpha king. You’re not marrying an ordinary man but the alpha of all alphas. You’re not going to become just his wife. You’d become the Luna and queen of Blood Moon. And the whole country knows he has been in three marriages and all his wives died mysteriously… I’m scared, Mom, there’s the rumor about…”

“I understand your worries, Brooks. I was wary at first, too, and I turned him down repeatedly until he eventually wore down my defenses, and then I came to understand him. There’s so much we don’t know, so much I still can’t tell you, but he makes me happy, Brooks. He’s the one for me. I’ve never felt this alive, this bright. I can’t just let it go because of some groundless rumors.”

I nodded. That was the reason I couldn’t push it too. I’ve never seen her this happy, and the rumors weren’t the reason why I was against the marriage; it was Heath. I didn’t want to have a family relationship with him at all.

“Well,” I reclined back on the seat, “as long as you’re happy and sure. That’s all that matters. So you’re going to be a bride and I’ll be your bridesmaid? Wow. Talk about living some girls’ dream, and it’s even more unbelievable that we’re going to stop living together from next week.”

“What do you mean?” she sounded genuinely curious, and it shocked me.

“You’re getting married and moving in with him.,” I explained the obvious: “That means we’re going to stop living together.”

“You’re moving in with us.”

“Come on, Mom,” I laughed at the ridiculousness of her statement, “I’m 22, not 16. I can’t move in with you.”

“Yes, you can,” she turned to face me, “why won’t you? You’re seriously thinking of abandoning me because I’m getting married?”

She was serious. I sat up when I realized she was being serious.

“Of course not, but…”

“Brooks, Liam is big on family. That is why he and his sons still live under the same roof. It won't look good if my daughter doesn’t move in with us. And that’s even by the way, I need my daughter around. I’m moving in with people who were strangers less than a year ago. I need you with me. I know you want your freedom, but…”

“I’ll come and visit,” I blurted out hastily, “ I’ll visit every weekend, but moving in is just… It’s just something I don’t think I can handle.”

“Okay, six months. Just stay with us for six months, and if you still want to move out then, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Mommmm.”

“Brooks, pleaseeeee. This is me begging, okay? Just six months and you’re free to move on. Besides, I still need to keep my eyes on you after what happened with Jemi.”

There was no winning this argument with her, so I gave up for now with the intention of bringing it up later and convincing her then.

I was definitely going to convince her.

********

I couldn’t convince her.

For the next week, I tried to make her understand why I couldn't move in with them, but she insisted on the 6 months. Over the next few days, I had to pack and then watch a truck carry all I owned to Romano’s Castle.

I've had to go for fittings for the wedding too. It was a relatively small one with only members of the council in attendance. Mom looked like a dream, and watching her smile and laugh heartily made me feel bad all over again.

I couldn't believe I really wanted to talk her out of marrying him because I didn't want to become family with Heath.

But we were family now.

And we were going to live under the same roof for at least six months. He and his brothers ignored me all through the ceremony, and it was only during the photo session that I felt an acknowledgment from him. In all the pictures we snapped together, he was beside me and his hand on my waist in that possessive way that I hated.

And my body liked it.

The ceremony finally ended with the Alpha and my mom flying out to the Maldives for their one-week honeymoon. I asked a maid to show me to my room, and I received another shock when I realized that I shared a wing with the Princes, while Mom and the Alpha were in the west wing.

It felt like a recipe for disaster, but it was just going to be for six months. I was going to avoid him completely, and no matter how much my body was stupid and wanted to betray me, I'd hold on to myself.

I wouldn't be foolish enough to hook up with my stepbrother.

I double locked my door, showered, and drifted off immediately my body touched the bed, and I probably haven't slept for an hour when a new weight joined me on the bed. I made to scurry away, but a hand grabbed me and held me back possessively.

I turned sideways to see Heath grinning at me like the Devil incarnate that he was.

I elbowed him, but he hardly even felt the impact.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“To fuck you out of my system,” his reply was so casual like this was the most normal thing in the world.

“You're insane.”

“Hmm,” he murmured as he pressed me down and dragged my panties to the side. I was alarmed. My brain was alarmed, but my body wasn't.

My body was reacting to this, to him. I was getting wet, my heart was pounding, and I was already aching.

This must be a nightmare, a terrible dream.

“I'm going to scream,” I yelled out in panic.

“That's the whole point,” He groaned and I could process the feeling of him pressed against my ass cheeks, long, thick, and bulging veins before he eased into me.